As soon as the Overwatch League started, the first critical voices were raised. It is not about the matches played so far or the players themselves, but rather about the system behind it. eSports legend Emil “HeatoN” Christensen now expresses his criticism in an online magazine.
Since Christensen founded the Counter-Strike clan “Ninjas in Pyjamas” in 1999 together with Tommy “Potti” Ingemarsson, he has been active in the eSports field. Over many years, he secured a spot in the top 3 with his respective teams and even reached the pinnacle of the shooter several times.
Over time, he witnessed the change within eSports. In mid-2007, he ended his active playing career and has been working as a team manager ever since.
Clear Criticism of the “Plastic” League
Christensen is critical of the now-emerging Overwatch League. His article “Overwatch League smells like plastic, American money” has now been published in the magazine Metro. There he highlights Blizzard’s high ambitions to establish a successful league but points out the disadvantages that the chosen approach might entail.
For this, he draws a comparison of Overwatch to eSports surrounding Counter-Strike. The teams formed there have grown organically over the years and were able to build an honest fanbase that is interested in them and the sport.
“The teams and stars have reached the top after many years of hard work and have thus become ambassadors and carriers of eSports. They have developed into a brand that cannot be bought with money,” Emil “HeatoN” Christensen
Blizzard, on the other hand, tries to do the exact opposite: wants to buy everything with money. Twelve organizations had to “forcefully” form their teams with an astonishing sum of 20 million dollars – and were not allowed to keep their original names.
Thus, the London “Cloud 9” has now become “London Spitfire” with twelve Korean talents.
Will the Overwatch League Fall After Its Rise?
Christensen sees in this preparation of the teams not only artificially produced plastic but also a danger for the future of eSports. For him, anyone should be able to reach the top, regardless of their background, thanks to training and strong will. Blizzard’s induced monopoly prevents this.
“I believe that this monopoly aims in the opposite direction of the inclusivity that our sport actually embodies. For me, what was appealing about Counter-Strike was that no one ever cared about where you come from,” Emil “HeatoN” Christensen
He expresses concern about the direction Blizzard has taken and believes that Overwatch will pay a high price for not allowing its players and the league to grow organically. After the rise, the fall will still come.
The Overwatch League is still young and has already given birth to its first star.
